Figurine ball projector



May 24, 1949. H. M. wEscoTT FIGURINE BALL PROJECTOR Filed Sept. 26, 1946 INVENTOR. HARVEY M WES'COTT A TTORNE' Y Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIGURINE BALL PROJECTOR Harvey M. Wescott, 'iiuth Westport, Mass. 7 Application September 26, 1946, Serial-No. 699,403

This invention relates to the class of articles provided for amusement and more particularly to games wherein a certain amount of skill is required of the player in order to aim a projected ball so as to enter a target receptacle and thereby be scored in the players favor. A novel and amusing game is provided in which a miniature figur of a bowler is controlled by the player and simulates bowling a ball in a lifelike manner toward certain receptacles for the purpose of scormg.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel and amusing game which is simple in construction and operation and also inexpensive in cost of manufacture The above and other objects will become apparent in the following description wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended for the purpose of iliustration only and that it is neither desired nor intended to limit the invention to any or all of the specific details of construction shown excepting insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the game board.

F'". 2 is a view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

F 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6-8 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral. it indicates the base board of the game apparatus, which is rectangular in shape and substantially greater in length than in width, thus simulating a bowling alley to some degree. Rigid thereto and depending from the margins of the base board ii! are a pair of side walls l2, a front wall l l, and a rear wall I3, all of which serve to elevate the base 10 above the surface on which the game board is resting during use, thus allowing clearance for the concealed mechanical features beneath the base. A plurality of ramps [4, each having its lower end toward the front, and iiush with the surface, of the board I0 and provided with a cup l5 at its upper end, is provided at the rear of the board l0, being rigidly attached thereto as by means of screws l6 and positioned in a manner that the axis of each ramp if extended would pass approximately through a 1 Claim. (Cl. 124-7) point in the center of the front edge of the board A raised wall I! of substantially the shape shown surrounds the rear half of the board I0.

. A transverse slot 20 is cut in the base Ii) near its front end in substantially the location shown. A miniature figure of a bowler l8 having a springoperated right arm I!) is rigidly mounted on a frame 2|, the latter having guide pins 22 rigid thereon and registering in the slot 20 and thus being slidably mounted on the base board I0.

The actuating mechanism of the bowlers arm comprises a pivot pin23, a lever 24 keyed thereto and having one end secured to a spring 25 and the other end secured to a cord or flexible wire 26 which passes downward through a hole 21 in the base of the figure I 8, through the slot 20, thence through a slot 28 in the front wall ll, through a hole 29 of the vertical member 30 depending from the frame 2|, and is secured to a knob 28a normally positioned against the member 36 by urging of the spring 25 on the linkage described. The anchored end of the spring is fixed to a transverse pin 32 rigidly secured inside the figure l8 and positioned parallel to the pivot pin 23 and within the arc of the lever 24, thus providing a limit stop to the motion of the lever, when the latter is urged in a counter-clockwise direction by the spring 25.

The right arm I9 of the bowler I8 is rigidly secured to the end of the pivot pin 23 and so positioned that when the lever 24 rests against the pin 32 at its limit of travel the arm I9 is in substantially vertical position. The hand 3| of the arm IQ is gouged out in cup-like fashion and thus adapted to hold a ball or marble 34. Spare balls 34 are provided near the bowler in a rack 35 where they may be readily reached by the player, and

at the same time enhance the illusion of the miniature bowler and alley.

To play the game, the operator places a ball 34 in the hand of the miniature figure, then aligns the same with a desired ramp by sliding the frame 2|, by grasping the rigid handle extensions 30a of the member 30, in the slot until the desired position is located. When the bowler is positioned as desired, the knob 28a is pulled out, thereby pulling the cord 26 and rotating the lever 24 in a clockwise direction against the force of the spring 25. The knob 28a is then suddenly released, allowing the energy of the spring to rotate the lever forcibly counter-clockwise until it hits the limit stop 32, thus impelling the ball from the hand and up the alley and preferably up one of the ramps ['4 to lodge in one of the cups IS. The cups l5 may be marked with varying numbers of points scored and the total number of points for a given number of throws by a player would then be his score for the game. Obviously, any number of players could participate, each taking his turn and taking an arbitrary number of throws as decided upon by the players.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A game apparatus comprising a board, a figure mounted on said board adjacent one end thereof and facing the other end thereof, said figure having an arm depending therefrom and pivoted thereto, said arm having a cup-shaped ball receptacle at the lower end thereof adapted to receive a ball, means for swinging said arm in a rearward direction through an arc, resilient means normally urging said arm in a forward direction, a limit stop to the forward swinging of said arm, said first-named means being releasable and upon release thereof after swinging said arm through said are in the rearward direction permitting said resilient means to swing said arm suddenly through said are thereby causing said arm to eject said ball in a forward direction, said board having a transverse slot therethrough, said figure having spaced downward projections registering slidably in said slot, said figure thereby being slidable on said board in a transverse direction, said arm having a pivot pin on its upper extremity pivotally mounted on said figure, a

cross-arm secured to said pin, said resilient means comprising a spring having one end anchored t0 the figure and the other end anchored to one end of said cross-arm, said board having a passage through the end thereof extending into and at right angles to said slot, said first-named means comprising a flexible cord having one end anchored to the other end of said cross-arm and extending from said figure through said slot and said passage out of said board, the other end of said cord being adapted to be held in the hands and pulled.

HARVEY M. WESCOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 598,894 Bean Feb. 15, 1898 898,684 Rittenhouse Sept. 15, 1908 999,095 Connies July 25, 1911 1,656,413 Bird Jan. 17, 1928 1,925,918 Cox Sept. 5, 1933 2,211,330 Hochberg Aug. 13, 1940 2,206,213 Weidemann July 2, 1940 2,289,421 Grieshaber July 14, 1942 2,349,892 Vaughn May 30, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 543,011 France May 15, 1923 

